Maiocco’s 49ers report card: Team grades in lopsided loss to Dolphins

Maiocco’s 49ers report card: Team grades in sloppy loss to Dolphins originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The 49ers’ NFL playoff hopes came to an official end on a day that unofficially encapsulated their entire season.

“It’s happened way too many times this year,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said. “When it rains, it rains.”

The 49ers repeatedly made critical mistakes in every facet of the game in their 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

The fouls included 11 penalties, including three flags for unnecessary roughness.

“When you have that many penalties, it’s a harbinger of loss,” Bosa said.

Here’s the report card from the 49ers’ Week 16 game against the Dolphins:

Rushing offense

Running back Patrick Taylor got the start after injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo. Taylor didn’t get much out of the opening game.

Taylor was held for no gain on a third-and-1 play for a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive. He finished the game with just 24 yards on eight rushing attempts.

Brock Purdy was the team’s leading rusher with 26 yards on four scrambles. Deebo Samuel added 25 yards on five rushing attempts.

Grade: D

Passed offence

Purdy had a solid day until he was hit while throwing, contributing to a critical interception in the fourth quarter.

Nick Zakelj failed to pick up Calais Campbell on a stunt, leading to the game-tying interception.

Purdy finished with 26 completions on 40 attempts for 313 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

George Kittle had eight catches for 106 yards, while Samuel had seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Ricky Pearsall had four catches for 37 yards, but was called for lining up in an illegal formation to wipe out a first-and-goal situation in the third quarter.

Grade: C-plus

Hateful defense

The yards came on the ground too easily for the Dolphins as they controlled the line in the second half.

De’Von Achane had a big day with 120 yards on 17 carries, including a 50-yard touchdown run to open the victory late in the fourth quarter.

As a team, the Dolphins gained 166 yards on 30 carries for a 5.5-yard average.

Grade: D-minus

pass defense

Tua Tagovailoa picked the 49ers apart with short, timing passes. The 49ers couldn’t muster much of a pass rush, with Maliek Collins getting the only quarterback hit of the game.

The 49ers did a good job against Tyreek Hill, one of the best receivers in the game. He caught just three passes for 29 yards.

Rookie cornerback Renardo Green prevented a touchdown with a pass breakup against Hill in the end zone.

But the 49ers struggled against Achane and tight end Jonnu Smith. Achane had seven catches for 70 yards, while Smith had six receptions for 62 yards.

Grade: C-minus

Special teams

Special teams has been an issue all season, and Sunday was no different.

There was only one glaring error, but it kept points off the board.

Kicker Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field goal outside the left upright in the third quarter.

He is now 23-of-30 on field-goal attempts this season. He made a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Grade: D

Coaching

Kittle made a point to absolve the 49ers’ coaching staff of blame for the amount of penalties. He said it’s all down to the players because they’re not doing their jobs.

But of course there is plenty of blame to go around. And that includes the coaches.

Once again, the right moves were not made at the right times to pull out the win in a very winnable game.

Grade: D

Overall

This game was the story of the 49ers’ season. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw left early with a right calf injury. The 49ers lost two starting offensive linemen, and that proved costly as well.

The 49ers were plagued by sloppiness in all areas. Six of their penalties came on offense. Some of these punishments came at the most inopportune times.

And once again, the 49ers couldn’t generate any takeaways while turning it over once.

Grade: D-minus

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